Maple Leafs Lose Potential Trade Partner Following New Report From Frank Seravalli
The Toronto Maple Leafs are in the thick of trade speculation, but Frank Seravalli has narrowed down their targets, and reports one team is out of the running.
With Brad Treliving the center of trade talks in recent weeks, the pressure in solely on the Maple Leafs GM to make a move to not only improve their team's scoring, but deal with a potential long term injury, and perhaps add some defense while they're at it.
There are several names available for the team to go after, but they must be careful not to overpay and risk gambling the future for only a few months of talent.
If that's enough to win a Cup then it'll all be worth it, but another first round disappointment will not bode well for the team.
NHL Insider Frank Seravalli however has revealed that at least one team that Toronto could potentially be a trade partner for has adjusted their trade strategy now that some very important pieces are back in play, and it's direct from the source.
Utah HC GM Bill Armstrong Not Buying Or Selling Unless It's The Right Fit
Speaking on Seravalli's show 'Frankly Speaking', Utah HC GM Bill Armstrong was honest in his team's approach to the trade deadline:
We have the assets. If it's the right deal, the right timeline, the right age, we're definitely going to try and be a championship organization and acquire championship players.
We'll see what's available and makes our club better, we're certainly gonna look at it."
That spells bad news for Brad Treliving. While there weren't as big a names on the Utah squad that could be the impact player Toronto needs, they were linked to center Nick Bjugstad, who would have been a cheap and reliable option for their third line.
It's also bad news that Armstrong wants championship caliber players, and for all the firepower the Maple Leafs have, they have no real playoff success and certainly no championships; unless Utah wants to acquire Oliver Ekman-Larsson or Steven Lorentz, they have slim pickings with Toronto's roster.
Utah was extremely aggressive this past draft, and the fact they could be huge buyers potentially again doesn't spell positivity for Treliving, because each day he sits without making a deal is another deal potentially lost as teams are quickly adjusting their strategy.
Bill Armstrong's comments don't bring a lot of help to a suddenly desperate situation for Toronto and with news about John Tavares potentially out for a bit; it's more crucial than ever that Brad Treliving figures out a deal to get some type of help before it's too late.
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